but why you may want to be careful when opening emmett- mails you are not expecting. good morning -- e-mails you are not expecting. good morning maryland at 5 starts right now. >> you are watching the station that works for you. now, good morning maryland. the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school has some lawmakers push fog tighter gun control official in our state are calling for change. >> reporter: it's going to be a busy day for malls and stores around the area. i am linda so live at the mall in columbia. some of the benefits of waiting until the last-minute before holiday shopping. >> the rains take down the defending superbowl champs ending the 3-game losing streak. we will tell you why it's such big news for the guys in purple and black. exciting news on this monday morning. happy christmas eve. thanks for joining us i am

megan pringle. charley has the day off and hopefully he is sleeping in because it's good sleep in weather. here's meteorologist lynette charles to tell you what to expect for today. >> you need that extra blanket on the bed. you are waking up this morning and going shopping i know a lot of you procrastinators but bundle up as you head out. look at temperatures in hereford at 31. very dry air in place. dew points in the mid to low 20s this morning. 31 right now in glen burnie and our last stop in west friendship at 31 as well. as we see maryland's most powerful radar, it's dry. we have all five sweeps on and scanning the skies and right now, nothing to see or behold. but going into afternoon and evening we will see wet weather moving in and some of that could become a wintery mix as we head throughout the day. speaking of heading throughout the day this is the planner for you lunchtime temperatures coming in at 39 degrees. let's check the traffic withlauren cook good morning. >> good morning. traveling in howard county this morning, everything is nice and

clear on interstate 70. no problems traveling from cluck yeah -- columbia pike to 695. 95 north of 195 everything moving right along. you are looking at normal 12 minute ride from elk ridge to downtown baltimore and as we look at the other abc2 timesaver traffic drive times jfx clear heading downtown 11 minutes southbound from the beltway to fayette street and 695 clear on the west side just 8 minutes on the outer loop from 79 a to #-- 759 to 70. -- 759 to 70. it's -- 795 to 70. it's christmas eve. have you finished holiday shopping? if not you are not alone. 17 million people are expect to be out getting last-minute gifts. linda so is live at the small in columbia and linda what are people waiting for? >> reporter: well, i got to tell you something. macy's did something that they have never done this weekend. they were actually opened

nonstop starting friday night up until last night at midnight and they are opening their stores early today for all the last-minute shoppers. doors will open again here at 7 this morning. you note parking lot is empty right now -- you know the parking lot is empty right now. but it will be filling up. as you mentioned, 17 million people plan to shop today. yes, they have waited this long. you know, there was actually a psychologist who says there are some benefits to waiting procrastinating up until the last-minute to get shopping done. fry gallonity goes out the window and you spend more which for the person frugality -- frugality goes out the window and you spend more which for the person you are buying for. again, most of the anchor stores here at the mall in columbia will be opening at 7 this morning. macy's, j.c.

penney's nordstrom will open at the 8 and so will the rest of the mall. they will stay open until 6 tonight. they won't be opening -- they won't be staying opening too late. anchor stores closing at 6 and the mall will close at 7. we have learned target is extending their hours. they are staying open until 10 tonight. you would be surprised to know that so many people wait until the last-minute to get their shopping done. we have been -- heard it's around 17 million who wait until christmas eve to get their shopping done. many of the people haven't started yet. so if you plan to head out, to the malls, to the stores, just be patient and the parking lots are going to be full. i can tell you i was here on saturday, got stuck in parking -- in the parking garage because of so many cars people trying to get in and out you are waiting and stuck you need your patience. now back to you. >> apparently that's the busiest shopping day of the year. so you are brave. thanks so much. we will check in in a bit. four minutes after five. sad news on this christmas eve

for one store in our area for more than 50 years in business, stephen's hardware is closing their doors for good. the store will shut down around 10 this morning. and the owners say it hurts to close but they can't afford to stay open. the building operate as hardware store since the late 1800s under different manage men names and as of now, there are no plans to do anything with that old building but if we hear something we will keep you posted. looking at the top stories this morning, we have heard from the nra and now from local politician who is are pushing for tighter gun control. the gun lobbyist appeared on sunday morning talk shows defending his stance to put armed guards in all schools. the nra broke their silence on friday a week after 26 people died at sandy hook elementary at the hands of a man who has 3 high powered guns. senator lisa gladden who represents baltimore city is making it her mission to outlaw

extended magazines which allows a gunman to carry more ammunition. she and ys there's no use for such weapons on the streets. >> it's stupid. i just -- it doesn't make sense to add more guns to schools. when you add more guns to reduce violence i think you increase violence. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in the school to protect our children, then call me crazy. >> over the weekend 800 mayors got together calling for tighter gun restrictions one of those mayor was baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake. when it comes to gun stores the senator from montgomery county will push to give state police the same authority as atf to audit how many guns were used in a crime and place sanctions on the owners. new york demonstrators took the debate of gun control to the streets. look at this last night. hundreds of people marched over the brooklyn bridge calling for tighter gun laws in this

country carrying candles. marchers stop in the middle of the bridge to read the names of the children and adults killed at sandy hook elementary school in connecticut. in the wake of the sandy hook shooting, we know that gun sales have spiked in a major way. now the demand is driving the prices up. guns like ar-15s and mr-4s are selling for as high as a thousand dollars in texas. some assault style weaponsdoubled in price. a gun dealer says an assault style weapon that ran 900 dollars a week ago is now selling anywhere from 15 to a $2500. some gun buyers expect the prices to continue to rise. switching gears at 5:07. an exciting year for sports fans in baltimore of course first we saw playoffs in baseball at camden yards and now we will see a playoff game with football at the bank. the ravens beat the giants 33- 14 clinching the division. for the second year in a row

the ravens are your afc north division champs and that means the team will have a home playoff game. >> this was the championship. this was you know what, solidified the home playoff game back to back you know division champs. that's huge around here. so, the expectation is to win. >> i think fun is a good word to describe this game today and this win. the last three weeks i've been -- have been difficult for the ball club and we are not used to losing like that. and you know we stayed confident and knew the things we were capable and the potential we have as a football team. >> joe flacco threw for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns. eliminating the defensing superbowl champ from contention in the afc -- excuse me nfc east and now 10 and 5 going into the last week of the regular season against the

cincinnati bengals certainly an exciting time for ravens fans. felt like football weather yesterday and is going to again today. >> exactly. it feels really good. it's cold don't get me wrong but feels like it should be. seasonable weather. as we go into the afternoon we will be a little below average but we will take it. if we can't have the snow we will take the cold weather. that's my motto if we can't have the snow we will take the cold weather. let's show you what's going on because we have the cloud out there. but, we are going to see even maybe some wet weather coming our way as we go through time. and this is what's happening as i broaden out the view. this is what we are waiting for to move into the area as we go later into the afternoon and also this evening. we can see snow up to the north. well, some of this could be sliding our way as well. with that we could see a wintery mix as we go through time. let's check the traffic now with lauren cook good morning. >> reporter: good morning. if you are headed out to 695 there are no delays from parkville all the way up to towson and for those of you heading downtown, 83 also going to be nice and clear as we take a look at abc2 timesaver

traffic crime time. 11 minutes from towson all the way to downtown baltimore. and if you are using 95 this morning, here's what it looks like downtown at 395 no delays through the fort mchenry tunnel. that's your traffic megan over to you. >> 10 minutes after 5. if you are traveling this week, you may want to pay close attention to the weather because some areas, it's a nightmare. we will tell you about two storms that depending on where you are traveling could create a major holiday disaster returning from the vacation plans. we have all the details straight ahead. plus he is on his way to deliver presents to good little girls and boys but will the bad weather prevent santa from making a stop in our area. we will look as we track old st. nick. did you get chips for the party? nope.

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5:13. thanks for joining us. the weather headache from coast to coast causing trouble for travelers from rain to flood to inches of snow. people are finding themselves stuck where they don't want to be for christmas. here's rob nelson with the latest. >> reporter: yes, there is no place like home for the holidays. but the weather is not making

it easy to get there. the heavy snow and torrential rains delayed and stranded millions of travelers. the road are practically impossible to navigate and some parts of the west. >> the road are pretty bad and there's spinouts further east. there's going to be chain control for the next two days going into christmas. >> reporter: and swimming might be the best way to travel if you are trying to get out of sonoma county, california. and san francisco international airport, up to 30 flights have been canceled and many more delayed leading to frustrated passengers. >> after i found out my flood was canceled after four hours -- flight was canceled after four hours it's to wait three hours in the customer service line which i didn't get to the end of when it closeded and called in and organized all that and they switched me on airlines. >> reporter: in the east residents of syracuse new york are dealing with this. plows working overtime and frustrated drivers stuck with no place to go. >> the weather was bad, the

winds were fierce and blowing the cars around. you could see the semis were swerving. >> reporter: and forecasters predict a white christmas for some parts of the northeast. rob nelson, abc news, new york. >> and don't forget to track santa's flight this christmas eve. to fiend out if the weather is going to be -- to find out if the weather is going to impact his travel. norad has been tracking st. nick since 1955. following santa's pretty easy. now there's a tracker app for the iphone android and window phone users. and sleigh watch can also keep up on bing maps or twitterhow about that santa is on twitter. >> technology santa my sentiments exactly. let's talk about what santa has to encounter as he comes through the chimneys this evening i can't believe i am saying that. it's christmas eve. all right. so maybe a within theory mix.

especially around -- within theory mix especially around our air -- wintery mix especially around our area. and we coo see -- we can see rain around the southeast and severe -- and some severe weather. we won't be dealing with that but very cold temperatures for today. so be prepared. now we look at the future trend and can see what's happening. you've been hearing me talk about this wenty mix across the area -- winty mix -- wintery mix across the area. we can see the snow back off toward the north and west. we can see rain to the south and again with that, we do have a chance for a little bit of sleet and snow and some rain all mixing together. the further back to the north and west you go you will encounter that possibly and all this happens going into the afternoon time frame and sticking around towards the evening and moves out christmas day looks to be on the dry side and then by wednesday we have another storm that's going to try to make its way in here. another wintery mix is possible across the area. this is what the planner looks like throughout the day a high

temperature coming in around 40 degrees so we are dealing with temperatures that are coming in below average for a high temperature. we look for the next three days and by wednesday, this's the mix i am talking about. that temperature coming in at 41 degrees a check of the 7-day forecast looks like this. as we go into thursday, things dry out a bit. i am not going to rule out a chance for a shower recall grit morning but by friday temperatures cold coming in at -- but saturday a third shot of wintery precipitation. let's check the traffic with lauren cook. >> reporter: good morning i can't believe christmas is tomorrow. time flies. if you are traveling in howard county, no delays on interstate 70. it's nice and clear from columbia pike over to 695. and for those of you using 95 no problems in elk ridge look at 12-minute ride in to baltimore city. and as we check in and look live downtown, 95 at 395, traffic is moving along no problems getting through the fort mchenry tunnel and as we head up to parkville, this is what 695 looks like at harford

road. no problems getting up to towson. that's your abc2 timesaver traffic. megan over to you. >> thanks. he has big dreams of becoming a pop star and says he has something better to do with his time and his talent. we will tell you how a singer is use his love of music to bring happiness to special kids and their families. [ woman ] ring. ring.

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a musician who dreamed of being a big star has new mission. he is bringing joy to sick children and is doing it through music. john beltzer writes personalized songs for kids battling terminal illnesses. families fill on online applications providing him with information such as child's favorite color and special interest and hobbies and writes personal lyrics. >> she fights like a girl ♪ and she lights up our world ♪ alex and dray. >> i am alexandria nice to meet you. >> we wrote this song of love for you my friends. >> she fights like a girl. >> alexandria. >> they made a song because i am special. >> alexandria has acute

lymphoblastic. >> what is in that. >> keep mow. >> she practicing -- keel mow. >> she practices -- chemo. >> she practices on that. >> he created the songs free of charge and says the song for alexandria is supposed to bring good vibes and boost self- esteem. first it was getting-- bethany getting married and bethany ever after and now she says she is going through and says it's immensely painful and heart breaking. we will explain what it is when we come back. >> we are dealing with the cold temperatures this morning. 27 in baltimore. 22 in york. i will tell you if the cold temperatures finally match up with the precipitation. coming up. >> well, lynette if you are traveling in anne arundel county no delays on interstate 97. at route 100 i will let you know what traffic looks like on 95, 83 and the beltway coming up on good morning maryland. i got it made ♪

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not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners to shape our curriculum, so that when you find the job you want you'll be a perfect fit. let's get to work. 5:25 on christmas eve. thanks for joining us on this monday morning. she had a fairy tale wedding

that was tell fiesed on a hit reality show -- televised on a reality show. but the former real housewives of new york city star is getting divorced. she and her husband jason are calling it quits after almost 3 years of marriage. franco says this was a difficult decision and that they plan to coparent their daughter. the couple met while they were filming the real housewives and the relationship was on many shows spin-offs and bethany getting married and bethany ever after. a man is dead and police right now say that an officer is on administrative leave. we will tell you what officials say happened behind a gas station that ended with an officer firing his weapon.and a crash on a baltimore washington parkway backed up traffic for hours. the latest on who was involved and what happened. >> good morning. topping america's money last- minute shopping. many shoppers still have not

finished christmas shopping. consumer reports says 17 million people will shop today and more than 60% will just throw in a towel and get the gift cards. so far it's been a quiet holiday season at the malls analyst say shoppers are worried about the budget stalemate in washington and delayed by super storm sandy and depressed by the connecticut school shooting. retailers are hoping today will make up for all that. federal workers have more time to sho. president obama gave them today off. government offices are closed. financial markets are also closing early as are most post offices. and the hobbit topped the box office again for the second straight weekend. it took in 37 million dollars more than double any other movie. even though many people did their last-minute shopping instead. that's america's money and i am brandi hitt.

you're watching the station that works for you. now, good morning maryland. the clock is ticking. lawmakers have one week to come with up a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. if that tonight happen we all pay. find out how close -- if that doesn't happen, we all pay. find out how close they are to reaching an agreement. >> reporter: the day before christmas. have you gotten your shopping done? i am linda so live at the mall in columbia. if you haven't you are not alone. what stores are doing to help last-minute shoppers get it done. >> we want to make sure you stay cheerful as you finish up the last-minute holiday shopping. we are going to tell you what kind of deals are fake out there so you don't get tricked stay with us. we have got details on that. all right. it's monday morning. christmas eve day. so merry crass may early. i am -- christmas a little early. lynette charles is here with a look at how the weat